Picture this: I’m on the edge of my seat (literally) in a crowded movie theater viewing Ben Affleck’s new film Argo, currently the number one film in the U.S. The audience and I are captivated by the story of Tony Mendez, a CIA agent’s desperate attempt in 1980 to save the lives of six hostages from a revolutionary Iran. Mendez’s creative idea of pretending to make a movie in Iran becomes the only hope of saving the hostages.

The intensity is riveting. All of the viewer’s attention focuses on what might be the next plot development – will the hostages make it through the airport checkpoints? What obstacles will they face next? How can they possibly overcome them?

But then I reflected more deeply: What really matters most in terms of this story as it unfolds before me? What I found surprised me.

“The Avengers” is now the third highest grossing film of all time (domestic and worldwide). The film is about famous superheroes coming together as a team to battle evil. Are the millions of people watching this film learning anything about the film’s main premise – teamwork?

Yes and no.

In the midst of the most prestigious golf tournament of the year, the Masters, Tiger Woods is trying to solidify his comeback. He needs a major championship in order to seal the deal.

A few years ago, he lied. He cheated on his wife. Repeatedly. He let down fans. He hurt many people, especially his family and friends. Former fans and spectators claimed Tiger was a man without character. Similar claims are made against other philanderers – politicians, ministers, and athletes (e.g., “she has no character”; “he has bad character”).

New research into the science of character strengths is showing that such statements do not make much sense.

Signature strengths are at the core of our identity. They are our essence…they are what make us glow. Maybe you shine when you express kindness or hope? Or perhaps when you use humor or creativity? Whenever we express a signature strength we are probably at our best – authentic, strong, and real.

When you think of Katniss, the star of The Hunger Games, what strengths make her glow?

I asked this of a few people who read the book, saw the movie, and know quite a bit about the VIA Classification of character strengths.

Here is what they said (for a list of character strengths go to the original source on the topic or check out my earlier blog).

How can the movie, The Hunger Games, possibly teach us something about developing character strengths?

This movie can teach us ways to increase our courage.

No doubt the premise of The Hunger Games is awful and disturbing – a society in which children must kill other children until there is only 1 survivor. It’s a society in which the authoritarian Capitol tries hard to glorify this process and make the various cultures (the 12 Districts) value the process of killing. They succeed with some (the seemingly more wealthy people who bet on the “games”) and fail with others (the poor and working class districts who suffer and feel controlled by the Capitol).

Can a film that starts from such amoral grounds still offer something of substance to its viewers?